Disappointing customer service and lack of customer care

Extremely Disappointing Experience with Discovery Insure – Poor Communication and Lack of Customer Care

My experience with Discovery Insure following a hit-and-run incident involving my vehicle in August at the Parkview Mall parking area in Moreleta Park, Pretoria, has been extremely disappointing.

To give credit where it is due, submitting the claim through the Discovery Insure app was straightforward, and the initial assessment process and arrangements to have my vehicle taken to an approved panel beater were handled efficiently. Unfortunately, that is where the positive experience ended.

Throughout the repair process, communication from Discovery Insure was virtually non-existent. The feedback provided on the app was confusing and unclear, and I received no proactive calls or updates from the team handling my claim. I had to repeatedly contact Discovery Insure myself to establish what was happening with my vehicle.

When the panel beater identified additional damage, Discovery Insure authorised an extension to the period my vehicle would remain at the repair centre without first contacting me to explain the situation. More concerning is that the consultant allocated to manage my claim never once contacted me. Not once. I was left to follow up every step of the way.

What I find particularly unacceptable is how Discovery Insure handled the hit-and-run investigation. I personally went back to the mall to request CCTV footage. Mall management explained that, for privacy and security reasons, they could not release the footage to me or allow me to view it, but that they could provide it directly to my insurer.

I contacted Discovery Insure and was referred to their Legal Department. I provided the relevant contact details, including the names, telephone numbers and email addresses of the mall management team, so that they could follow up and obtain the footage. Despite being given all the necessary information, Discovery Insure never contacted the mall. No effort was made to investigate the incident or establish what had happened.

My vehicle was hit while I was at the gym, parked in the mall parking area, and I was left to deal with the consequences of someone else's actions. What is the point of having insurance if your insurer is not prepared to take reasonable steps to investigate an incident, particularly when the evidence is potentially available?

After this experience, I contacted the Retention Department to express my dissatisfaction and explain the complete lack of service, communication and follow-through. I was assured that someone would contact me. Once again, that never happened.

To date, Discovery Insure has still not bothered to contact me or provide any meaningful feedback.

This experience has left me questioning the value of being insured with Discovery Insure. Insurance is not simply about collecting monthly premiums or processing claims. It is about providing support, communication, reassurance and accountability when customers find themselves in difficult situations.

I should not have to chase my insurer for updates, repeatedly explain my concerns, or personally facilitate an investigation that should have been handled by the insurer.

I am now proceeding with the cancellation of my policy, not because of the accident itself, but because of the appalling manner in which Discovery Insure handled me as a customer.

Discovery Insure has fundamentally failed me in terms of customer service, communication and accountability. I expected far better from an established insurance provider. Unfortunately, my experience has demonstrated a complete lack of interest in customer satisfaction once a claim has been submitted.

I would not recommend Discovery Insure based on my experience.